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Celebrate!

I’m back in the studio after the New England road trip, and things should begin to get back to normal. I met a lot of nice folks at the comics conventions in Boston and Burlington, Vermont, and I want to thank everyone for their hospitality. But it was hot! I traveled from the deep south expecting respite from the heat, yet Boston was as bad or worse than home! Burlington was a little better, but I dragged around several long-sleeve shirts for nothing. Still, it was a great visit, but I’m very glad to get back into harness. That also means, back to the parsonage fund-raising campaign, though you have done your part. Now it’s up to us; we expect the rewards you’ve been promised to start flowing soon. It’s good to be home!

204 thoughts on “Celebrate!”

Thanks for saying that it was HOT in the northern part of the USA. Granted, we do not have the prolonged heat of our neighbors down your way, but we do sometimes get the hot and sticky. Kind of wondering if anything on the trip inspired you for A&J? Did you drive or fly? Anyway, here’s to looking for a road trip to see Gene and family.

I flew into Boston’s Logan and rented a car. Driving in Boston is different. — JJ

I’ve mentioned the OR coast in summer ’62 here. This video is from farther s. and a bit corny, but it does give some insight into the intertidal rocky coast. Don’t know if this sp. of sea slug occurs that far n., but at least a half dozen prettier ones do. Do a search for Janolus fuscus or Hermissenda crassicornis, the only two names that come to mind at the moment. Peace,

Jimmy, another author I follow says he is on the way to the Salt Lake City ComicCon where 120,000 nerds, ah, fans are expected. You do realize you could have a second career just attending all the ComicCons, don’t you?

That’s what I thought a couple of weeks ago, but I was wrong. I’m glad there are those who enjoy comics conventions, but let’s just say they’re generally not in my demographic. — JJ

By the way, update on my condition. Saw the thoracic surgeon yesterday. They pulled the staples and external stitches, told me I could go back to driving. I see the cardiology doc tomorrow. Thanks for all the prayers and good wishes from you here. Wish I could meet you and shake hands, you are good people.

My favorite ride was a 2008 Volvo VN 670. It didn’t have the greatest acceleration and was governed at 65 mph, but it could haul more than any of your favorites! It was red, unlike the one in the ad below:

Finally remembered to tell Bob about the old car discussion and show him the pictures in Jackie’s FB thread. That brought on memories of his great-grandfather’s Packard. Bob remembers the family cruising down the beach at Daytona with him, no older than 5, riding on the running board waving at people.

Cool car, yes, but equally cool is that he knew his great-grandparents. There were four generations living together in a big house next to his grandparents’ flower shop in Daytona in the late 40s/early 50s- Bob, his parents, his mom’s parents, and her father’s parents. He remembers his great-grandfather teaching him to play chess – one of those situations where it might be debatable which generation was watching out for the other.

My mother told me that when I was born all 8 of my great-grandparents were still alive. I can remember meeting only two of them (my mom’s mom’s mom and my dad’s mom’s mom). Only one of my grandparents made it past 80 and my parents only to 56 and 71. I intend to set the record!

No we did not have any of those people looking over our shoulder.
We we not corporate.
Our birds were not caged. Not outside but ran on floor.
(Today could get premium)
.
At MN State Fair visited Egg Producers booth – They had A nice display
and a chart listing reasons why caged birds are healthier and safer.
And the cost of eggs are significantly cheaper.
.
Modern Americans behave as if intelligence were some sort of hideous deformity.” Frank Zappa

Old Bear, I bet that booth was interesting. I read where they are going to eliminate chick culling by 2020….good. They will determine sex while in the shell. And I was worried about my big boy being found, left him right up front in top cage.

Debbe: ‘. . . they are going to eliminate chick culling by 2020….good. They will determine sex while in the shell.’

That w/b bad news for owners of pet snakes [mostly small constrictors]. When it’s warm enough for them to be shipped live, you could buy 100 cockerels cheap, kill and freeze them, and thaw one and feed it to your rock python or whatever maybe twice a month. Most will learn to eat dead mammals or birds. No attention getter for a biology prof [or some other weirdo] like a pet constrictor.

Managed to get in two hours driving after dark last night despite my best intentions of not doing so. On bad, poorly marked roads around Dallas area.

It is raining and Lezlie is down patterning more of boat for two additional inside bunk cushions for tall people on cabin bunks in galley table area. The cabin queen sized forward bunk is done if Dickens and I want to share?

She was working on patterns for boat cover when it began pouring. I need to look at radar. Heading to Amarillo.

We had lots of rain yesterday, a grey but dry morning today. Looks like there’s rain on the way but we’ll just be getting the fringes of Hermine. Our thoughts are with those who will be in the middle of it.

Speaking of bad air, especially of the “hot” variety, those of you who do not live in a so-called swing state should thank your lucky stars! Unfortunately, the I-4 corridor is the coveted swing section of this swing state (Florida), so we get a fairly constant barrage of presidential and senatorial campaign ads on TV. The state/local primary was Tuesday so at least now our phone isn’t ringing constantly with those folks wanting our vote. When we’re not watching PBS or Turner Classic Movies, we keep a finger on the mute button and hope it doesn’t wear out.

Leaving for Amarillo, TX right now. Got cushions and next ones measured and patterned by sail maker, cushion maker, beautiful Lezlie of the concrete naked maiden from previous trip. She is headed back to Houston while Dickens and I go to Amarillo on a cattle trail.

In the interest of biological accuracy, and maybe enlightened choice, that was a good mouse to release. Don’t know where in N. America it happened, or if the mouse was already a captive, but it was not an introduced House Mouse [which I recommend not releasing] but a native Peromyscus sp. [white-footed mice and deer mice], probably P. leucopus if we’re in Middle Atlantic or Southern states. Bigger ears, bigger eyes, white tummy, and they don’t smell like Mus.

Amarillo by nightfall. Nothing seems to have changed, mores the pity. Big rig pitched off ramp one down from mine. Seedy places and hotels. Maybe it will look better Amarillo, by morning. Hotel sort of OK but my senior citizen first floor room vanished, morphing onto third floor.

Dickens is in bed and if my medications weren’t down in truck I’d say to heck and forget a bag. I think I will complain they didn’t give me my elite snack treat but I will not walk to get it. That clerk could use some exercise.

Jackie, the 2 things I remember about Amarillo are the freaky highway interchanges (compared to those elsewhere) and all the trees leaning towards the south because the prevailing winds shape them that way. On your way did you (or will you) go past the giant cross at Groom, TX? I never stopped there (wasn’t sure about parking a semi in their lot), but it sure catches the eye.

I have seen Groom cross in past along with the Cadillac Ranch and Big Tex Steak in Amarillo. Amarillo is not my favorite place. My late husband spent so much time here I used to accuse him of having a second family here. As Amarillo doesn’t seem to have much in way of florists to sell it seemed odd.

My running joke is I have been in every town in Texas with a water tower because they probably had a florist too.

Thank you Sir, Ghost. I have been driving down the road to a suffit of country classics, singing along off key. This one struck me as particularly appropriate although I confess it was Kitty Wells singing it.

Perfectly calm here, pleasant temps and not a drop of rain all day. We could use a little rain actually. I put away some easily blown away items today while wife laughed but better safe. There is another storm way out there which is predicted to take a similar path. I’m supposed to be in Atlanta the middle of next week so here’s hoping for good weather. Mark, good news.

Loving this cool weather we are having right now….high today 79 degrees.

Old Bear and Smigz, thanks. Asked the Boss yesterday what our score was, said he wasn’t told, was just told we passed.

Emb…a pet constrictor 🙂 I’ve known some people who have had pet snakes, don’t like snakes…like Indiana Jones said “I hate snakes”!

Taking tomorrow off….Amen

Mark, how did your doctor’s appointment come out?

GR 😉 neat trap…we have live bait stations at work. When we find a mouse in one, we are supposed to put trap in water and drown the mouse. The Corp is very strict on rodent control because of diseases carried by them. When I find one, I just pick it up by the tail and smash it’s head on concrete floor and throw it in the pit….it’s a quicker solution.

Dr. visit went fine. Wants me to do some kind of cardiac rehab. Have to get authorization from VA to do that, so will be spending time on hold listening to awful music while waiting for actual human. Still tire out very easily, which is why I was yawning so much when talking to Jackie last night. Between the lengthy wait at the dr.’s office and a trip to Walmart for some things I needed I was pooped.

Why is hold music always so terrible? Not only poor song choices, but usually scratchy and distorted. Putting it on speakerphone means your hands are free, but then both ears get abused. Poor little ears.

Someone tweeted that you can tell that it is the Friday before Labor Day. Out of office messages on emails, phone calls going to voice mail, parking lots are empty….And the amount of traffic here at A&J.com is extremely light.

For those in the path of the storm, we pray for dry homes and cars. And if you happen to see a Fruit and Vegetable stand being maned by a young couple, stop by and pick something up and say hello to Gene and family!

Be glad to compile lists of “Public Domain Tunes That Don’t Suck.” After all, most of the best music is now PD. Not sure, however, how many in the Village would like most of my selections [e.g., Flower song / ‘Lakmé , Trout quintet, When I was a lad / ‘H.M.S. Pinafore’ / Academic Festival Overture, Barcarole / ‘Tales of Hoffman, etc.].

Mark/TT: Remind me to take you OUT for breakfast, should we ever meet!! Even this city boy knows eggs from chicken “residue”.

Ruth Anne, if I had to listen to Stravinsky as well as be aggravated by needing to hold for an extended period, I’d be sorely tempted to use a different company for whatever service was required. I believe the phrase suiting that situation involves the wording “cruel and unusual”.
Yeah, I know; each of us has tastes peculiar to ourselves.

Here I am in Colorado Springs, CO in a very upscale LA Quinta after last night’s bad one. But I am parked in the back forty and will get some much needed exercise going to get my clothes. Heard this obscure country song on Outlaws Radio today and it seems so appropriate. Still Drivin’ https://youtu.be/EGCPVL5QDG8

Got through my first high elevations and small mountains in New Mexico and Colorado, first 6% grades with tight curves and shift downs, first Drive into the rain clouds hanging down mountains, so darling visibility turned to night.

And still I looked at purple black clouds on mountains at sunset and marveled at how beautiful America is. Today I have seen windmill farms, cows in feed lots, fields of corn, cotton, milo, cows, oil wells, bleak west Texas farms, magnificent huge farms, towns nearly abandoned, thousands of fat cattle, green fields, wild flowers, thousands of antelope, elk, deer, horses, Cowboys, deer hunters, oil field workers out of work, truckers, farmers and a few tourists.

I am only sailboat seen. West Texas Cowboys and truckers seem to have a desire to go to sea in a classic sailboat with a woman with a large rack. They say it’s the boat and that’s probably true.

Walking a half mile for suitcase would definitely encourage less clothing and makeup. I heard a really good outlaw song and am thinking if it is too blatant even for this bunch?

Jackie, your mention of being the only sailboat seen reminded me of this old sailor’s song:

“I’m walking inland from the shore
Over my shoulder carrying an oar
And when someone asks me what
Is the funny thing I’ve got
I know I’ll never go to sea no more, no more,
I know I’ll never go to sea no more.”

I thought the most interesting part was the west Texans who read Wooden Boat magazine and wanted to cruise in the islands but had never sailed. It was the boat, definitely.

Tomorrow I meet the two Sage Marine boat makers who actually build them for customers. Jerry Montgomery, another legend designed them. Both Dave and Craig are huge John Welsford fans so boat is attraction. Sage is owned by Sal and Gail Glaser of Spydeco knives.

Will be buying knives as gifts for my three male employees who worry about me constantly. I have aged them badly. They deserve a knife.

Debbe, enjoy the day off. There are tons of songs more blatant than that one. Lou Reed, Lola, Little Richard and on and on and they all got radio play. It was surprising the ones that they bleeped out a word like A Boy Named Sue. Bill or George ,any (bleep) thing than Sue. Meanwhile, the Eagles are cruising up and down the (not bleeped) road and someone is raising the (not bleeped) rent.

A very emotional Friday evening,…met with the stepsister, stepbrother, and my three younger sisters. We met at Mom and my Stepfather house (of 41 years) to decide what to do with their property. It did not fall back on the government because of nursing home expenses. I have one intelligent BIL (married to sister 3) who did a lot of paper work and resourcing to keep the homestead from falling into the hands of Medicaid.

Sister 3 told me to bring husband, told her “hah, he won’t come and I don’t want him there”, then she told me to bring Ian. Now, Ian was raised in that house the first 5 years of his live, and the only positive male figure in Ian’s life was “Grandpa Cuddy” Ian was the apple of his eyes. The only positive male figure he’s ever had in his life.

Ian said something about his living there, and my stepsister responded by calling him a “spoiled brat”…needless to say, Ian walked away, flipping her the ‘bird’. Thankfully, the only person who saw it was my BIL…who quickly calmed Ian down….somewhat. Ian has a lot of respect for my BIL. Signed some papers, I get 1/6th of what is sold.

Now, there are turkey barns, and hog buildings now that surround those 8 acres…I think I am going to call Purdue and tell them the property is for sell….no homes are around. Sell it as is, as I feel we would be wasting time and money in ‘sprucing” it up. I didn’t mention that last night. Only said the only neighbors around are hog buildings and turkey houses.

Yup, think that’s what I’m going to do. Stupid stepbrother wants to keep his 1/6th, so he’ll have the 1.32 acreage on the northeast side.

Mark…love that pic. Never will forget watching for the first time in my life, a hen laying and egg….heh, I would rather deal with chicken poop any day than human poop. At least I know what they are eating.

…and remember, to take baby steps in your recovery

Mark. I would love to shake your hand….so Happy for the positive diagnose.

Wasn’t Elvis simply magnificent in the Comeback Concert? I loved the music but also his look, the black leather, hair, everything. If only he had continued in that mode and not done some of later things.

A quiet weekend planned here. Loon is recovering from having a big toenail removed. It never properly adhered after surgery and had developed a blister on the nail while we were in London. Now waiting to see if she will be able to make our trip next week.

Thank you Debbe. The thoracic surgeon did a great job on the bypass. Hardly any pain in the hospital and none outside it. Did not even fill scrip for pain med after release. Glad to hear your henhouse passed inspection and that things are looking good there.

Also glad to hear your family is dividing the property in a thoughtful way. My brother and his wife decided to go ahead and rent a house in Montgomery while they try to sell their home here. They will be moving at the end of the month and it looks like Mom will be going with them. So I will be alone here (except for mom’s indoor cats) for some time. Brother is trying to rush me out of the house even though I don’t have anywhere else to go at this time. I told him it might be after the first of the year and his answer was that he didn’t want to have to wait to put the house on the market that long.

No one is being fair to you Mark it would seem. I will add your mom’s cats to the Endless Cat Buffet for you. Get out of your other obligations ASAP so you have less drain on your earnings and relocate literally. Witness protection?

You have friends here and you need to make more.

Waylon is singing Me and Bobby Magee on Pandora and I am running late. What’s new?

Jackie, if you haven’t picked out a knife for your hands yet, you might consider this one. I have a couple of Enduras without the Emerson opening feature, but I do have a Kershaw knife with the feature. It’s neat.

Alas… vacation is over for now. Flew back on Monday – went to work Tuesday – which, in retrospect, was perhaps not a wise decision. Was not up to 100% efficiency… probably hovered between 50% and 75%. And… we have had a change in the weather which was a blow to my joints. Had horrible back/leg pain yesterday and last night. Was pretty much incapacitated. But took some strong pain killers, ben-gay, and sleep. I am feeling much better now!

Prayers for all who are experiencing difficulties in various areas of their lives. We gotta hang tough!

Today, I had the Dr. Sheldon Cooper “Comfort-Food-for-When-You-Don’t-Feel-Good” lunch…a grilled cheese sandwich, made with sliced provolone, sliced Gouda, and thin-sliced deli ham. It was good and made me feel better.

Galliglo, sorry about your pain — sending hugs, hope you feel better soon. Ghost dearest, my wish is for you to soon feel like your old self, and a mighty good self that is. Mark, I’m so glad you are healing. May your path through these obstacles smooth out.

Congratulations to Debbe on the hen house passing inspection. Awesome!

Ghost, that sandwich sounds very good. The cafeteria in the hospital where I worked started making a grilled cheese/tomato sandwich which was great. It had 3 kinds of cheese and ripe tomato slices and was delicious.

I fell in the shower/tub today and got banged up a bit – not as much as if 6 guys named Vito got me with baseball bats in some alley, but sufficiently. No doubt some dermal regions will be of differing hues for some time. Only areas of severe aches [not, properly, actual pain] are my left forearm upon which I landed [atop the thinly topped track for the sliding shower doors] and, of all things, the front outer half of my left kneecap. As I fell backwards, how did the front of that knee get involved? Had I fallen forward, I’d understand – and it would have been a LOT easier getting up and out of the tub.

As it was, getting up and out took a good 20 minutes, much of that in trying to figure out how to accomplish the feat…I am not a lightweight.

Note to self: place rubber mat down in tub before showering again.

Elbow & kneecap are swollen, but at full use with no pain beyond the aches mentioned. Jolt went right up to my shoulder, but shoulder also shows normal movement, and collarbone is whole. Thanks be to God; this could have been a lot worse.

Dear C ex prof, Oh Heck, what an awful thing to happen. You have my sympathy. You sound good and can certainly type as well as ever, so I hope nothing is broken. You have the knowledge to analyse the accident well so I guess you would know. I was lucky, I fell on the hardwood floor in the kitchen, my daughter was nearby and heard the crash. She called 911 and the EMTs picked me up. I never could have done it myself as you did! I banged my left knee in exactly the same place you did. Now I’m in a ReHab facility practicing walking and hope to go home in a week or two. It’s such a bummer being here since July 15 when it happened. At least Medicare is footing the bill, everyone is very nice, and the A/C is good to have (none at home).

For a few weeks now, I’ve been taking 1 or 2 ibuprofen every 8 hours unless I choose to use my muscle relaxant. Then, too, a daily 1/4 aspirin has been de rigueur for years. Perhaps that’s why I’m not feeling any worse.

Thanks for the message, Charlotte. Here’s hoping you will recover faster than you expect.

The MBH threatened to call 911, but I was sitting there thinking there HAD to be some way to escape the tub. It felt absolutely stupid to have missed serious injury only to be unable to get up/out! I resolved to sit there until a usable plan of attack hit me. Had I fallen frontwards, absent any notable head injury, I could have arisen in spite of not being allowed to kneel on these fake knees; I have done that many times, though not from a tub.

Don’t let my typing fool you; I cannot type beyond “hunt and peck”. You can not know how many corrections go into virtually everything I try to type. I especially can not type on this laptop from our recliner; from a regular chair using the table top terminal, my hunt and peck is rather better.

That last line reminds me of a joke that would not be appropriate here. Today featured a 5.6 in California quickly followed by a 5.6 in Oklahoma. Was it a fracking coincidence? Probably. New Jerseyites, no need to thank us . Enjoy that Florida weather. It’s amazing that it sat in the Gulf not moving and then it shot over Florida and up the coast. My brother in Tallahassee is still out of power.

Spent last night on Colorado Springs, tonight I am in Cheyenne, Wyoming in a full suite with just Dickens and an entire dog show. Just Adventure Dog and I in suite with kitchen and living room, bedroom, bath, no jacuzzi. He got bathed last night so he’s clean and fluffy.

Just saw most beautiful mackerel tabby, a 20 pounder, scared to death of dogs. Moving. Rescue.

emb: The most miserable part of my introduction to bionic enhancement (a CRT-D) was the week I spent taking baths while the incision healed. Getting out of tubs is hard enough when you’re not injured but are plus-sized; you have my sympathy with today’s incident.

Those of you at home are all in terrible pain and I am sending sympathy and good karma. Get well and stop falling!

Ghost, Glen wanted a black blade so I got the black Salt with smooth blade. I like the Salts. The only one he has is the seat belt cutter. I am tired and couldn’t do the Spyderco link. Dave helped me pick out gifts for the guys and went over boat with his employee who is wooden boat graduate builder from the NW Boat Building School in Port Townsend where I am going. Lots of valid good information from people I trust. And yes, I respect and trust the company and all connected to it. Wish you’d been along. Glen almost came except he needs to work two jobs.

c ex-p, glad you got away with no more than you did. It certainly could have been worse and I am glad that it was not. I have been taking my showers on a bath seat since getting home. At 6’5″ and over 250 pounds, it would take EMT’S to get me up should I fall down. And at that size, I stopped taking tub baths long ago as I could not get enough of me under water to feel clean. Prefer showers with the hand-held hose so I can reach everything. Healing and blessings to all who need them. And safe journeys to the travelers among us.

Wondered for a half second, then realized another person has his professors emeriti confused. We’re both originally from NYC, I’m older, he believes more stuff than I do. I’m in N. MN, he’s not.

Yeah, I’m fine, and am extremely careful in the shower. Have a plastic mat that works well, and am religious about always moving by planting feet slowly and always vertically, no horizontal vector. When elsewhere, rarely find a tub with effective texturing: only example I know of is at a friend’s bungalow in SE Mpls. But a really workable solution, in many motel/hotel rooms, usually with abundant towels, is to designate one your tub mat. Lay it in the tub, start the shower. Once it’s soaking wet, you have secure footing.

Jackie, when will you be in MD? That’s where my friend with the available boat lives. This is the one I mentioned here some months ago, and in which you expressed great interest. She is not ready at this moment to deal, but expects to be ready by, say, October. If you will give an approximate date – after you have set a date – I’ll put a bug in her ear.

GR 😉 had not heard that song before, I went inside the homestead and saw where pictures had hung on the wall, and I remembered what had hung there all of those years. Going to be a lot of lot of wiping down the walls.

When I was in the hospital early in the year I was standing in the bathroom, lost my balance and fell forward into the tub. I tried to catch myself on the side of the tub, did a tuck and roll and landed on my butt in the tub, rocked back and hit the back if my head. A nurse was in my room and she asked if I was ok. She got a very disgusted “help’ in reply. It took 3 of them to get me out of the tub and I had an instant goose egg on the back of my head. Nothing really hurt but my pride. The non-tropical storm formerly known as Marlene has been a tropical storm, a hurricane, a tropical storm again, a tropical depression, a non-tropical storm, a hurricane again, a non-tropical storm again and is predicted to become a hurricane again today. As to where it will go the official track is to the NE, but the unofficial (non-computer) prediction is that it will hit New Jersey today or tonight with high water and hurricane force winds. Don’t take the plywood down yet.

My fall in tub was up on Mackinac Island a few years ago.
The hotel had done a magnificent job decorating the rooms, our suite looked like something in a very upscale east coast decor magazine.

EXCEPT the tub in bath which was small, deep and vintage, space tight. I slipped and fell in, jammed myself in somehow and could not get out. Managed to get water out of tub and didn’t drown. I was alone so I got out but honestly cannot remember how, sort of like that cartoon of Janis with the safety cone.

By vintage I mean like 1950s I suspect, not a claw foot. This suite I am in needs tub replaced too. Rest of room is redecorated but tub?

I ran out of my prescribed anti-histamine and haven’t felt like stopping to pick up some more. So I found an old (but still in date), unopened box of Benadryl* tabs in my emergency supplies and started taking them over the weekend.

* Or as I call it, “Dangerous Narcotic Drug That Makes Me A Little Goofy And A Lot Sleepy”. One can tell I’m not much of a druggie.

Yes, “Cheyenne Social Club” is one of my favorite Western movies, starring two of my favorite male leads. It was also a favorite of a former member of my all-female staff, and we used to discuss it occasionally after one of us had caught it on TV. Actually, it was she who always mentioned the breastular features on display. (I have a theory that women notice that as often as men, but for comparison purposes. And AFS Member herself certainly stacked up well compared to the women in the movie.)

My favorite was the town doctor who gave the working girls their “regular exams” and took his pay “in trade”. I don’t think it was ever mentioned whether Doc on “Gunsmoke” had the same arrangement with Miss Kitty. 😉

Remember the doctor in The Reivers by Faulkner with Steve McQueen who took his pay in trade? Love that movie and book too.

About drugs, No! No way! Snorting benadryl! Who’d have thought. I live on it for allergies and rash from allergy. I have been told over and over I do not have addictive personality or genetic makeup for addictions. Now about Diet Coke?

Thanks, everyone, for the good wishes. Now here is a question for Mark, or other experts if he is busy. My iPad, which is a real life saver here in ReHab, has begun asking me if I want to install IOS 9.3.5 — I keep telling it “Later” because I don’t know what might happen. Any advice? I would be grateful.

Charlotte, what version of IOS are you currently running? I was running 9.3.3 and the update to 9.3.5 was painless on my phone. If you are running something earlier than IOS 9 then it may not be so painless. I recall some farting around when I updated from IOS 8.

Ghost, I find codeine to be a “bad” thing for me. It depresses my respiratory system to the point that I have to stay awake and consciously force myself to breathe. I am not going to risk that again if it can be helped. There are apparently a number of different types of Benadryl. I have only had to take it twice in the past decade or two. Both times the only impact to me was that the rash went away. I really hope you recover soon.

Sweet Charlotte, I am neither Mark nor an expert, but I had much the question about iOS 9.3.5, so I looked into it. That operating system update does fix some important security issues, so that would seem to mean “yes, you should”. As always, though, there is a chance some users may experience some problems after the update, in this case if they use “VoiceOver”, a feature used by the visually impaired. And if they do, that should be fixed by iOS 10, which should be released in a week or two. UNLESS (nothing is ever simple with Apple, is it?), yours is an iPad 2 or iPad 3, which won’t get the iOS 10 update.

Short answer is…I installed the iOS 9.3.5 update on my iPhone 5 and iPad 3 (both running iOS 9.3.4) and have had no problems.

Yes, Gary, codeine and other opiates can cause problems for some folks, and the breathing issue is one of the serious side effects. That’s why one should always read the prescribing info that comes with the med. When he was living, my dad could not take opioids such as Lorcet, as they made him really “goofy”. I have taken cough syrups in the past containing codeine and have had no issues.

One should always remember that almost all medications that are effective enough to provide benefits are also powerful enough to cause problems. Such as the recently prescribed antibiotic that apparently tried to turn my GI tract inside out.

Jackie.monies2324@gmail.com is in Wyoming Big Sky ountry sitting between two big trucks. I keep hearing the Marlboro theme in my mind but have really been listening to old country on Sirius. This is stop for ice and potty break for Dickens and me.

Winds have been gusting of 35 + mph and warnings up to 50 mph. Truck has a name now, Trigger, doing fine. Te.pera turns ranging 51 to high of 68 so far. May be time for.ore clothes. Will be in Salt Lake City at airport tonight. Bet our Ghost has already slept tbere.

Been to a lot more airports than I’ve slept over at. No layover at SLC that I recall.

I thought for a second you were talking about “tempura”, which made me hungry for Japanese. May have to haul out my well-seasoned wok and stir up some beef-and-veggie stir fry tonight.

Yes, to the horror of Apple geeks everywhere, my iPhone is about to be, what, four iterations out of date/style? And my iPad, so many I’ve lost track. If it works (for you), don’t fix (replace it) is my philosophy.

Ghost, one of the side effects of opiates is constipation. Severe constipation. When I had my hip replaced, they kept telling me not to be a hero, but to take the pain killers. I really wasn’t in much pain and within a week I was just taking Tylenol and ice. I too felt “goofy” and frankly my sleep patterns so screwed up, I finally give them up. Fortunately I was able to start driving much sooner than expected and had it not been for Christmas, I would have been back to work in 3 weeks.

My sister was in Rome this morning for the canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta. I told her to say a special prayer for my Dad, who met Teresa in 1982. I like to think, in my heart, that both my Mom and Dad are Saints as well.

Just heard that Mother Teresa’s order, in cooperation with pizza makers all over Italy will be serving 1000’s pizza to the poor throughout Rome in honor of her canonization. She would have approved.

If the system software on a device is asking whether to update it, the answer almost always should be ‘yes’, the exception being when your device has too little free space… and then the system should tell you to delete unnecessary stuff before it proceeds. The main thing is to never do an update unless you’ve recently backed up the data on your device.

Dear Gary and Ghost, I have no clue to the present OS of my iPad. It was brand-new in April. Your advicce looks good and I think I will let it be installed. Tomorrow. Will I have to do anything special? Thank you for your help.

TR, I was more concerned with Charlotte losing her connection to the Internet by bricking her iPad. And yes, always have a backup. I assume she doesn’t have the equipment that she would back up to with her in rehab.

My bath tub fall story: I clean the tub while standing in the tub. I spray down the walls and tub with cleaner, then scrub my way down. Use my feet to scrub the tub. No texturing in the tub, add some slippery soap, what could go wrong? Scrubbing away, suddenly start to go down. Reaction was fast enough to get a hand to a wall, but nothing solid to grasp. Result was a semi-controlled fall, complete with squeegee on window sound effect, and inadvertently pulling down the tension rod and shower curtain along the way. Land on my back with a firm thump, but nothing more than minor friction rubs on my fingers. Blacklight comes running into the bathroom, puts her front paws on the side of the tub, surveys the damage, and gives me a quizzical “meow?” – a “you okay” if I ever heard one.

Anyhow, after I affirmed I was fine, Blacklight gave the mess one last once over, got down, and wandered out of the bathroom without a look back. Took me longer to recover from the giggling fit than to get out of the tub.

The last person I know personally to have a fall in the shower went outwards…and through the glass shower doors. Safety tempered glass shower doors, of course, but that still produces a myriad of small, sharp pieces of glass, and it’s far from pleasant when your bare body lands on top of a pile of it.

His cuts were many, but fortunately not life-threatening, and he didn’t fracture any bones when he fell, a good thing since he was home alone at the time, except for his Boston terrier. And she was much less nonchalant about the episode than was Lady Mindy’s Blacklight. 🙂

I removed glass shower doors as soon as I could when I bought and remodeled my house first time. I had balance issues then and doctors thought MS onset. Remember all those work men’s comp cases I had to read? Lots of falls through everything imaginable.

Currently in another town in Wyoming, not Salt Lake. It got dark, started raining and I got altitude issues. La Quinta cancelled my reservation and got me last room in town I was in buying gas. They take care of me and Dickens.

Going to bath or shower. I am bringing in less and less clothes each night. I will be down to the bikini bottom and tee shirt with credit card and medical bag soon. Except lows today included 53 degrees and overcast so long tights and long sleeve tunic and shoes. Don’t even unload a suitcase, just bring in what I will wear or not.

Slept a little and popped back awake. I began worrying when Debbe wrote about Ian. I suspect many of us here suffer from depression. It is a disease I have fought my entire life, winning the battle more than losing. If I hadn’t I wouldn’t be writing this.

If you are depressed, reach out and don’t suffer in silence. People do care. You have to pull yourself out of that hole of despair but there are those who will reach out and take your hand to help pull up. I know and I will take your hand.

Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers for Ian. He was up when I got home from work. He is working with me today.

Glad Skittles was working with me yesterday, he heard a sizzling sound and smelled something burning. I couldn’t smell anything but chicken poop as I was coming out of the hen house. He passed the control box for the fans and said the smell was coming from there….told him to move that pallet away from the box…he did and he opened and and there was a flame coming up from fan circuit number 50m he blew it out. I shudder to think what would have happened had we not been there….all my Miss Prissies would have…..don’t want to even go there.

I liked our glass shower door as it had a bar across it that I could hold onto if needed. It was also very handy to drape the rubber mat after getting out. I used to leave it in the tub until I realized how disgusting the mold was that grew there.
Worst tub/shower was in Rome. The tub was extremely deep and slick. Actually called my wife in to help me get out. She didn’t seem to mind:-) Of course it would have also helped to provide washcloths. Next time going overseas I will have to pack one.

Not an awful lot, Jerry. My sister had foot surgery so I have to walk her dog several times a day, but that’s about it. Mostly I post when there’s something I need to say, so I tend to be in and out here.

Sitting between two giant trucks at a truck stop pulling out to head on to Boise. I will take my three benadryl when I get to motel. In meantime, my eyes water awfully. I am probably weird trucker out here?

Dickens has curled up in his dog house, the front passenger seat, in despair.

This will sound confusing, but I am leaving today and heading for Atlanta tomorrow. Will return Sunday. As usual I will check in when possible. And no I am not taking the convertible. I took my lovely step daughter in law and her equally lovely sister for a ride in it yesterday though.